Unwedded Bliss
by iloveromance
Summary: Deeply depressed from losing Daphne to Donny on her wedding day, Niles receives the surprise of his life. (Episode: "Something Borrowed, Someone Blue")


" _Dear Dad and Frasier…"_ He wrote, or tried to write.

His hand was trembling so badly that he could barely read what he'd written. Or perhaps it was not his shaky handwriting, but the blurred places where his tears had fallen. So many tears; more than he'd ever cried in his life. But he knew that the tears were just beginning. He was certain that he would cry even more.

He tried, oh how he tried to make Daphne realize that he was the man for her; that they were meant to be together. On that night, just hours ago, she'd kissed him in a way that he could never have imagined and it was a kiss that he would never forget as long as he lived. But when she'd left him alone on that balcony, he was convinced that his life was over.

He took a deep shuddering breath and tried again, starting fresh with a clean piece of paper.

 _"Dear Dad and Frasier…"_ he wrote. " _If you're worried about where I am, please don't. I'm fine. I… Oh, who am I kidding? I will never be fine again. I'm married to someone that I honestly don't love and the woman that I do love is married to someone else. I-._ "

He broke down in sobs, unable to go on. And when his sobs subsided, he took a deep breath. One glance at the tear-splotched letter and he crumpled it into a ball, throwing it on the floor of the Winnebago. It was no secret whey he was so depressed and he didn't need to write a letter to explain it.

With trembling hands he started the engine and put the Winnebago into reverse. And before long he was traveling down Interstate Five. Only this was no road trip. He was going home.

It felt strange, parking the large Winnebago in the parking spot in front of The Montana instead of his Mercedes, but he wasn't thinking about that now. Wearily he climbed out of the driver's seat and closed the door, remembering only after he'd arrived at his doorstep that he'd forgotten to lock it. The keys in his hand were not the keys of the Winnebago, but his personal keys to his home.

As before, his hand trembled, making it nearly impossible to unlock the door. But when he finally succeeded, he pushed the door opened and stepped inside. The apartment was eerily silent; almost a metaphor for what his life had become. He kicked off his shoes and removed his jacket, letting it fall carelessly to the floor. And then he headed for the one place where he could find solace.

A glass of sherry in hand, he sat on his fainting couch, almost sinking into it. He gulped down his drink and then rose to his feet where he returned to the bar for another, and another … and another. He drank so much that soon his decanter was empty and the idea that he had no more to drink made him even more depressed.

So depressed, in fact that he began to cry once more.

He sobbed into his hands. His life was spinning out of control right before his eyes. He could no longer dream of holding her in his arms. His angel, his goddess who was now Mrs. Donny Douglas. He'd never be able to return to Frasier's so see her angelic face smiling at him over a basket of laundry or holding a dishtowel in her hand. She'd be with her husband who would surely persuade her to leave her job at Frasier's. After all, lawyers made plenty of money and Niles had no doubt that Donny would keep Daphne financially comfortable.

He didn't want to think about the other ways that Donny would keep her comfortable. And yet, the thoughts haunted him like a bad dream. Only it wasn't a dream; it was real. And the realization reduced him to tears even further.

He was still crying when he heard the sound of the doorbell, followed by knocking. The sound was urgent. Most likely it was his father and Frasier, demanding to know what the Winnebago was doing parked in front of The Montana. He took a deep breath and opened the door. But the sight struck him like a gale force wind.

A vision of loveliness stood before him, tears on her cheeks, a distraught look on her face. Wearing a white wedding dress with thin straps that revealed her gorgeous bare shoulders, she was the most beautiful bride he'd ever seen. But one question came to mind; one question that he simply had to have answered.

"Daphne… what are you doing here?"

She stepped into his home and gently cradled his face in her hands. And there, not three feet from the door, she brought her lips to his.

The kiss was unimaginably wonderful, putting the kisses that they'd shared on the balcony of Frasier's hotel room to shame. He gave into the kiss in much the same way that he'd done the night before, wrapping his arms around her, holding her as close as humanly possible. He could hear her sighs as he deepened the kiss, savoring every touch of their lips and the taste of her. This was his fantasy and he wanted to make it the best fantasy ever.

But when they finally drew back from one another, he realized that the abundance of alcohol he'd consumed just moments earlier was not to blame. She was real; standing before him as the tears slid down her cheek, tears that he reached out and softly brushed away.

His eyes never left hers, not even for a second and he stared at her in utter disbelief; his tongue moving across his lips wanting so much to kiss her again and again.

"Daphne…" he breathed, drawing her close to him.

"I love you, Niles Crane." Her trembling voice said. "I love you so much!"

He couldn't believe what he was hearing and his heart pounded beneath his chest. "I-I love you too, Daphne, but you never told me-."

"What I'm doing here?" She finished.

Even now he was astonished by her ability to read his mind. "Well, yes… as a matter of fact, I-."

She kissed him again and then drew back, keeping his face cradled in her hands. "Making things right." She said with a tearful smile. "I didn't marry Donny. I couldn't. I don't love him, Niles. And I'm not sure if I ever did."

His mouth fell open in pure disbelief. "Y-you mean-."

She smiled sadly. "Yes…"

"But-."

"I'm so sorry that I hurt you, Niles. I'm so sorry!"

"You didn't, Daphne. I'm the one who-."

"Yes I did! Last night, leaving you alone on that balcony! That was horrible of me!"

"Daphne, you're not-."

"And then when I went back to me room I couldn't stop thinking about what I'd done… I couldn't stop thinking bout you, Niles. Oh, I know it's crazy but I haven't stopped thinking about you since your brother told me that you were crazy about me."

Niles' eyes widened. "Frasier? But he said that Roz-."

His words were stopped by her kisses. "Now, please don't be angry at your brother. He didn't know what he was saying!"

" _Didn't know what he was saying?"_ Niles almost shouted. "But Daphne-."

"Remember when he was taking those pills for his back?"

Niles smiled. "Yes, I remember quite well."

"He kept saying something about being in love with me for six years! Six _years_ , Niles! I thought he was talking about himself! But when I asked him about it, he said that he was talking about you."

"Daphne, I'm sorry, I-."

She threw her arms around him, resting her head against his neck. "Just hold me, all right?"

He held her close, breathing in her scent. It was heavenly and he wished that they could stay in each other's arms forever. But he needed to know more.

"If you didn't marry Donny then, how did you get here?"

"I climbed out of the window of the loo at the church. And when I was safely on the ground, I caught a cab."

"Daphne-."

"The driver looked at me rather strangely but I didn't pay him any mind. He asked me where I wanted to go and all I could think of was here."

"But how did you know that I was at home?"

She paused for a moment as though pondering the question. "I'm not sure. Perhaps it was my physic abilities kicking in, or just wishful thinking. But when we got here and I saw the Winnebago parked out front, I knew that it was a sign." She hugged him tightly once again and kissed his cheek. "I'm so sorry, Niles." She said her voice breaking. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm not."

She drew back and stared at him. "You're not?"

"No, I meant what I said last night, Daphne. I will leave Mel in a heartbeat. "Daphne, you're the one that I love. The only one I've ever loved."

She gasped softly and kissed him. "Niles…"

"I know that Mel is bound to make this so extremely difficult, but she and I have only been married for one day. So with any luck our lawyers can lessen the pain."

She was sobbing quietly now, holding him as though he might vanish into thin air if she were to let go. "Niles, I'm so sorry…"

"None of that." He whispered, running his hand gently down her cheek. "You're right, Daphne. This … your being here is a sign that we're meant to be together. I just hope that Donny doesn't give you any trouble, because I have no doubt that dissolving my marriage will be an absolute nightmare.

"Niles..."

He kissed her softly, their lips barely parting as he guided her to the fainting couch. They fell onto the cushioned seat, holding and kissing one another. Niles knew that the road ahead would be extremely difficult, but he was determined to hold onto this moment for as long as he possibly could.

Just as he would hold onto Daphne…

Forever.

 _ **THE END**_


End file.
